PNP Personnel Selection for UN Peace Missions

Legal basis and linked rules

The Circular is anchored on the Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No. 40 dated December 14, 1998 on the Revised Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Personnel Actions, referenced through Section 6c, Rule III.
The Circular implements and aligns with Executive Order No. 97 dated April 23, 2002, which approves and adopts the policy framework and guidelines for Philippine participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations.
The Circular also references PNP Circular No. 2008-018 dated December 26, 2008 on policies, guidelines and procedures on foreign travel of PNP personnel, amending PNP Memorandum Circular No. 2002-017 dated November 16, 2002.
The Circular incorporates guidance drawn from PNP Circular No. 2007-004 dated May 8, 2007 on personnel action for detail of PNP uniformed personnel to other government offices/agencies.
The Circular references PNP Memorandum Circular No. 2002-014 dated October 5, 2002 on processing personnel applying for secondment with other government agencies.
The Circular references PNP Memorandum Circular No. 2006-010 dated June 14, 2006 on assignments for PNP personnel returning from the United Nations missions and those who underwent foreign schooling for more than one (1) month.
The Circular uses external operational standards from the United Nations Civilian Police Handbook and the United Nations Selection Assistance Team (UNSAT) Guidelines dated January 1, 2005.

Purpose, policy, and governing principles

The Circular prescribes rules and procedures governing the selection and deployment/detail of PNP personnel to United Nations and other international peacekeeping missions.
Deployment/detail to the UN and other international peacekeeping missions/organizations is not a matter of right and is treated as a privilege granted only to qualified PNP personnel.
Only vacancies officially referred by the United Nations and other international organizations are processed by the PNP.
Individual PNP personnel are prohibited from applying directly to foreign agencies or organizations that published such vacancies.

Definitions and core terms

Active Police Service means the actual performance of police duties.
Personnel means active PNP uniformed personnel.
Deferment means postponing the deployment of PNP personnel to the mission area.
Detail means a temporary movement from one department/agency to another that does not involve reduction in rank, status, or salary and does not require another appointment.
Secondment means a temporary movement from one department/agency to another that may or may not require an appointment and may involve reduction or increase in compensation.
Peacekeeping means UN presence in the field (normally involving military and civilian personnel) with parties’ consent to implement/monitor arrangements for conflict control and resolution, or to ensure safe delivery of humanitarian relief.
UNDPKO means the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations in the UN Headquarters Secretariat directly in charge of peacekeeping operations.
End of Mission (EOM) means the date the deployed PNP personnel’s tour of duty ends, normally one (1) year from actual arrival in the mission area.
Mission Area means the country and other areas designated by the UN where the peacekeeping operation is undertaken.
UNSAS means the United Nations Standby Arrangement System, establishing a pool of personnel in a UN member country for deployment as mandated.
UNSAT means the team selected by UNDPKO to conduct qualifying examination for police officers offered by a member state for deployment.
UNSAT Examination means the examination administered by UNSAT to determine competencies in English communication, vehicle driving, and firearm proficiency.
UN Mission Qualifying Examination means the qualifying examination administered by the PNP as pre-selection screening before the UNSAT examination.
UNSAS Eligible means PNP personnel who passed UNSAT in the Philippines and are eligible for deployment within eighteen (18) months commencing from the last day of the test, as certified by UNSAT members who administered it.
Repatriation means sending PNP personnel back to the Philippines before scheduled EOM on initiative of UN or PNP through the Contingent Commander due to failure to meet UN standards, disciplinary reasons, or compassionate/medical grounds, with costs borne by the concerned PNP member if not covered by UN.
Contingent Commander means a PNP Commissioned Officer designated to command and control and assume overall responsibility for the conduct, welfare, and well-being of the PNP contingent in the mission area consistent with UN rules, policies, and regulations.
Committee means the PNP Selection Committee for UN Missions tasked to conduct screening, selection, and deliberation for secondment/detail.
Deployment Tracking means the UNDPKO order authorizing deployment, indicating the officer’s expected arrival date and Tour of Duty (TOD).
Extension means lengthening the tour of duty beyond the original agreement/contract period of secondment or deployment.
Default means failure to submit/comply with documentary requirements and/or failure to appear during processing for deployment.

Eligibility, age, service, conduct standards

Deployment to UN peacekeeping missions requires passing the PNP Screening Process to ensure satisfaction of minimum standards and qualifications.
Applicants must be UNSAS eligible.
PCO applicants must be at least Police Senior Inspector upon filing; PNCO applicants must be at least Police Officer 3.
Applicants must have attained at least five (5) years of active police service (excluding cadetship and Field Training Program (FTP) for lateral entry officers and new PO1s) as of the first day of the UNSAT examination.
Applicants must be appointed in permanent status in their present rank.
Applicants must be not less than twenty-five (25) years old and not more than fifty-three (53) years old upon actual deployment.
Age computation uses the 25th birthday and 54th birthday rule: an applicant is considered twenty-five (25) on the 25th birth date and considered more than fifty-three (53) on the 54th birth date.
Applicants must have at least one (1) year of recent driving experience and possess a valid Non-Professional or Professional national or international driving license for at least one (1) year as of the first day of the UNSAT examination.
Applicants must be recommended by their Unit Commander (Command Group, D-Staff Directors, RDs of PROs, NSUs Directors, and District Directors).
Applicants must have a Performance Evaluation Rating (PER) of at least Very Satisfactory (VS) for two (2) consecutive semestral rating periods immediately preceding the UNSAT examination.
Applicants must not have been ever convicted of any criminal or administrative offense, must have no pending administrative/criminal case in any body/tribunal/court, must not be a witness in criminal/administrative cases especially those covered by RA 9165, and must not be a summary hearing officer with unresolved cases.
Applicants must not have been repatriated from any previous UN mission for disciplinary reasons.
Applicants must have knowledge of basic computer operations such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, e-mail, and Internet.
Applicants must have passed the latest Physical Fitness Test (PFT) conducted by DHRDD and must have passed Medical, Dental, and Neuro-Psychiatric Examination.
Applicants must be cleared by the Directorate for Logistics of any firearm accountability prior to deployment to the mission area.

Priority, default, deferment rules

Priority for deployment is determined as follows:
- 1st Priority: UNSAT passers without previous UN mission deployment, ranked based on UNSAT examination rating.
- 2nd Priority: UNSAT passers with previous UN mission deployment.
In breaking equal ratings, the criteria are police rank, length of service, and educational attainment, and those with fewer missions have priority over those with more missions.
After nomination for deployment, personnel become in default and are removed from the priority list if:
- documentary requirements are not submitted to the Secretariat on the specified date; or
- the nominee fails to report for processing for deployment.
Personnel in default due to justifiable reasons may be renominated to the same mission area as the last priority.
Deferment is allowed only once and only for health reasons duly certified by the Director, Health Service.
Personnel deferred for justifiable reasons may be renominated to the same mission area as last priority.
A request for deferment must be made officially in writing as documentary evidence in case of conflicts.

Pre-deployment undertakings and pre-departure

Prior to deployment, personnel must execute an undertaking stating that the personnel:
- is not a witness in ongoing criminal/administrative cases, especially those covered by RA 9165, or a summary hearing officer with unresolved cases;
- will observe exemplary behavior and discipline in the mission area;
- will abide by the PNP Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct;
- will strive for outstanding accomplishment to bring honor and prestige to the Philippines;
- will never commit acts or omissions that cause dishonor or disgrace to the PNP;
- will strictly follow all pertinent rules and regulations in any mission area; and
- will defray travel expenses to the Philippines if repatriated due to disciplinary reasons.
Violation of the oath/undertaking is a ground for repatriation, without prejudice to administrative sanctions.
An UNSAS eligible person with no mission experience must undergo a Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) conducted by the PNP Training Service.

Secondment approvals and UN mission deployment limits

All applications for secondment to international organizations must be deliberated by the PNP Selection Committee for UN Missions.
The approving authority for secondment is:
- the Chief PNP for a period not more than one (1) year; and
- the Chairman, Civil Service Commission for a period more than one (1) year but not to exceed three (3) years, except when a law provides otherwise or when required under bilateral/multilateral agreements.
Personnel are allowed one (1) secondment for a maximum period of three (3) years.
Deployment to UN Missions is restricted to a maximum of three (3) separate UN deployments to an international peacekeeping mission, with a maximum of one (1) year tour of duty for each deployment or detail.
For purposes of the three-mission limit:
- extension of the mission for more than one (1) month is counted as one (1) mission; and
- missions considered by the UN as already completed are counted within the limit.
The three-mission limit is reckoned on the first PNP deployment in UN Mission in Cambodia.
Tour of duty extension is not allowed except for technical reasons or fortuitous events as provided by UN rules and regulations.
Personnel currently deployed to any international peacekeeping mission are not eligible for nomination to any secondment post and vice versa.
Personnel nominated for deployment or secondment are not eligible for nomination to another post.
Personnel returning from UN peacekeeping mission/secondment must render service of at least one (1) year in any PNP unit before consideration for next deployment.
Personnel appointed into any PNP technical services are not deployed to an international peacekeeping mission unless their expertise is specifically requested.
Third level officers are not allowed to be deployed to any UN peacekeeping mission or to any UNDPKO secondment post, except for positions of Deputy Police Commissioner or higher.
Officers who passed UNSAT before the approval or effectivity of the Circular are exempt from the third level officer restriction.
The PNP contingent for detail to international peacekeeping missions must be 40% PCOs and 60% PNCOs, whenever practicable.
The total number of personnel deployed to all UN peacekeeping missions must not exceed 0.5% of the actual strength of uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police as of the end of calendar year immediately preceding the deployment.
Before departure to the mission area, all PNP personnel must have necessary travel authority issued by proper authorities.
Personnel returning from mission may take the UNSAT examination only after six (6) months from the date of the latest EOM.
Personnel deployed in UN mission must undergo medical and psychological evaluations in the mission area one (1) month prior to the end of mission and must submit the medical examination result to the PNP Health Service for evaluation.
The Chief, PNP may, upon recommendation of the Contingent Commander, cause the immediate repatriation of any member who commits acts inimical to the best interest of the PNP and the country.

Selection Committee structure and Secretariat duties

The PNP Selection Committee for UN Missions deliberates, selects, and recommends the detail of PNP personnel for the UN and other international peacekeeping missions.
The Committee is composed of the following members:
- TDPL as Chairman;
- DDPRM as Vice-Chairman;
- DDI, DDL, DDC, DDIDM, DDO, DDHRDD, DDPCR, DEPLS, CESPO, C, WCPC, and D, HS as Members.
The Committee adopts and implements guidelines and measures for selecting and detailing personnel to UN missions.
The Chairman of the Committee designates the PNP Contingent Commander in every mission area.
The Committee is supported by a Secretariat headed by the Chief, UNPOC, Directorate for Plans.
The Secretariat must ensure proper implementation of the Circular and Committee resolutions.
The Secretariat must coordinate with offices, departments, and international organizations on international peacekeeping matters, including maintaining and updating the PNP UN Stand-by List.
The Secretariat must prepare documents for secondment and detail and ensure timely dissemination of announced vacancies in seconded posts.
The Secretariat must accept and process applications for secondment to the United Nations and other international bodies.
The Secretariat must assist UNSAT in conducting the examination in the country.

Funding and administrative penalties

All expenses connected with the Committee’s mandate are considered a priority Command Mandatory Activity and are immediately supported by the PNP.
Any PNP personnel who violates the Circular is administratively liable for GRAVE MISCONDUCT and is penalized accordingly.

Repealing clause and inconsistency rule

Existing policies, rules, and regulations inconsistent with the Circular are modified or repealed accordingly.